Kevin Rinke Agrees With Gretchen Whitmer on Gun Control Proposal
Rinke signals support for requiring background checks on all firearms purchases during Charlie LeDuff interview, a policy championed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer
Grand Rapids, MI – Last Friday in an interview posted on Twitter by Charlie LeDuff, Republican gubernatorial candidate Kevin Rinke signaled his support for requiring background checks on all firearms purchases.[1]
LeDuff asked Rinke, “Just to be clear, you would look into maybe closing the long arm loophole between individuals since that’s how the pistols are sold?” When pressed for a yes-or-no answer, Rinke answered, “Yes.”
“This is simply incredible. Just days before the Republican Primary on August 2nd, Kevin Rinke just publicly endorsed a radical expansion of gun control here in Michigan that no other Republican candidate supports,” stated Brenden Boudreau, Executive Director of Great Lakes Gun Rights.
Under current Michigan law, long arm transactions between private parties do not require a background check; it is only pistol transfers that require a background check. Democrat lawmakers in Lansing have filed House Bills 4869-4871 and SB 454-456 to expand the background check requirement to long gun purchases in Michigan. Neither bill package has Republican support.
“Whether he realizes it or not, Kevin Rinke just put himself in league with Joe Biden and Gretchen Whitmer when it comes to gun control. What he just publicly supported is a de facto form of universal gun registration, as it will give the government a record of every firearm purchase between law-abiding citizens. Criminals will continue to ignore this law, just like every other gun control law on the books,” Boudreau continued.
“Not only that, he told Great Lakes Gun Rights that he would oppose such laws on his candidate survey, but with this interview he directly contradicted his survey responses. So which is it?” Boudreau concluded.
Great Lakes Gun Rights opposes so-called universal background checks and is encouraging its members and supporters to contact Kevin Rinke to urge him to clarify his position on the issue.
[1] https://twitter.com/Charlieleduff/status/1550550467440156673